The Identity of ourselves

Do we imprison ourselves and deny our own freedoms? 
People have been known to "deceive" themselves "and act as if we weren't free". We feel the need to fit the "expectations of other people". Thus we delude ourselves into thinking there is no other choice, then to make ourselves into what other people want of us. In thinking, no one can be an absolute individual because we choose who we are based on subjective views of the world. Denying our freedom by telling ourselves there is no other way. This way we only connect with the face in the mirror. the person we project to the world rather then the one that lives inside of us, who knows that there are more options then what we give ourselves. Much tension is created this way. Banach says people seem to wonder "how the person in the glass can be ME if I am standing out here looking at it". Though I think in general people do not find it odd to be both inside the glass and outside it because they identify themselves with the person in the glass more then the one staring at her own reflection. The person in the glass can also be seen as a role, "we play the roles; we make ourselves into characters in the plays". It seems like life is one big play. And the role/ character we choose to play is someone who has been defined by the people and places around us. But the question arises why do we allow ourselves to trap ourselves. Everyone is free to choose, "we cannot escape our freedom". This freedom is always there in the back of our minds even if people do not realize it. The body can be controlled but the mind is free. Our body plays along with all the whims of society and our mind watches and waits patiently for its turn, to bring sense back and remind us that we are indeed free to make our own choices.

"Our freedom is, thus, a freedom of synthesis. It is the freedom to pull ourselves together into the type of coherent whole that we will ourselves to be". In this sense people can still be something of what they make of themselves. Even if everything is determined in how we are made it is still in our power on how to act on those things. For example the saying " when life gives you lemons, make lemon aid". Thus the complaining or argument that we not absolute individuals because everything influences is in some words incorrect. Because we have the will to use those influences to shape ourselves into something better and new. And in turn this puts a much brighter outlook on life, that we do indeed have freedom to which we can obtain our individuality.